Chapter 83
Chapter 83
Many of Ivnak’s glass workshops were closed, but only Hamel Brother’s workshop continued to run. With the support of the Duke, this was possible.
In particular, since glass manufacturing to crafts was being made, more efforts were needed.
The appearance of putting a long iron pipe in a glass crucible over 1,600 degrees, burying it with glass powder, rolling it around in a plate shape, trimming the shape with tongs, and making the shape take form made even viewers ecstatic.
When the smooth glass mass was heated, the shape moved as soon as it was pressed.
“Wow. The process of making it is also amazing.”
Even Luciel couldn’t keep her mouth shut at the skillful process. Wiping away the dripping sweat, Max placed a piece of paper on top of the swan-shaped piece of glass that was slowly cooling down.
The paper quickly flared up.
Luciel showed interest and tried to come closer, but Max warned her.
“It is slowly cooling down to about 500 degrees. It is easy to break if cooled rapidly. You must never touch it.”
“Yes, I won’t touch it.”
Apparently, he still recognized Luciel as an ordinary child. In fact, there were many dangerous things in the glass workshop for a little kid.
“Now that you have looked around the workshop, I will show you the crafts I made.”
“Yes.”
Luciel looked carefully at the crafts Max had shown her.
Having inherited the craftsmanship, he already had great talent. If he developed further from here, he would be a legend.
However, his crafts also had the same problems as the pieces of glass craft he sent. The design was decent, and although the luster and color were beautiful, it was not enough to satisfy the Empress.
To be honest, they were less than the glass in the glass vault he made.
Of course, it will be a skill he will acquire in the future, as he goes through a lot of experience, tryouts, and gains know-how. But Luciel wanted to advance the time.
“My glass crafts…What do you think?”
Max sounded somewhat insecure.
“It’s still great, but if you’re going to make glassware, you need to have more luster, gloss, and transparency. There are still many artisans who make better things than Mr. Max’s bowls.”
Luciel’s sharp evaluation seemed to awaken Max’s mind.
“…I’ll try my best. Because I’m still lacking in skills.….”
“Did you look for other materials to help in transparency?”
“…I’m using a perfect recipe. My father and my brothers all learned the same way.”
‘Hmm…as expected you are stubborn.’
From his tightly closed lips and serious eyes, she could feel a passionate commitment to the tradition of glass craft. He is perfectly equipped to become a craftsman. Luciel also knew that the quality of the glass produced would naturally improve as experience and technology increased.
But she was rushed for time, she couldn’t wait years.
‘…Well, I guess I’ll have to use that method.’
Luciel decided to give him a hint.
Her glass vault, made by Max, was not only beautiful but also unique in its transparent color. There was a reason he was able to make such transparent glass.
Someone had asked him for the secret. He, who did not speak until the end, later replied:
―I accidentally added sand, which is the material of the glass, and added transparent Naples seaweed. Then I got clean and clear glass without any impurities. I wish I had known this method earlier. For the development of glass crafts, I’ll reveal only this much.
Staging the natural way to tell the secret, Luciel gave Max and Ellington a tearful look.
“The workshop tour was good. But I am hungry and my legs hurt.”
“Ah, shall we return to the Castle?”
Ellington asked, lowering his body to quickly hold Lucy. But she turned around as if that wasn’t the case.
“N-no. I’m hungry.”
Ellington was terribly embarrassed. She said she was hungry after abruptly finishing the workshop tour…
‘She’s not the type of person who would be this childish…’
The Luciel he knew was a cute kid, but she was smart and caring. Meanwhile, Luciel turned her gaze to Ellington.
‘Ellington, that’s not it. To give the hint of seaweed, we have to eat the seaweed lunch box that Chef Seth packed.’
Before arriving in Ivnak, I hurriedly asked Chef Seth for help.
‘I want to eat dishes made with Naples seaweed! I read in a book that the Little Mermaid eats seaweed.’
‘Oh my, did she do that, Little Madam? So cute. It’s good for your health, so it’s good to eat a lot. I know a few dishes using seaweed, so all I need to do is get the ingredients.’
She readily agreed and then airlifted the Naples seaweed with difficulty to prepare the lunch box. Without Chef Seth, I couldn’t prepare for this plan.
‘The taste is something else, though.’
She had no choice but to sacrifice her palate.
When the child said she was hungry, Max cautiously said while scratching his head.
“Well…Then I’ll treat you to a meal at our house. However, it may not suit the taste of the precious Little Madam of the Duke.”
“My Little Madam likes to eat delicious food most of the time. Right?”
Ellington tactlessly smiled and asked Luciel, who shook her head with frustration.
“Oh, no. I would like to eat the lunch box that Chef Seth packed me!”
“Oh, now that you say, there was a lunch box. I will go to the wagon and bring it.”
When I opened the lid of the basket that I struggled to bring, a lot of food made of seaweed came out.
Starting with seaweed salad, seaweed sandwich, seaweed soup, and grilled chicken with seaweed sauce.
Ellington and Max’s eyes shook when they saw the condition of the food filled with transparent and sticky yellow-green seaweed, but Luciel pretended to be okay.
“Ah…I-It look delicious.”
As Luciel said so, she dipped the fork in the seaweed salad. Crunchy. The unique sour taste of hardened seaweed lingered in her mouth.
“It tastes healthy. Both of you, have a taste.”
“…I, I will take it. Little Madam”
Ellington furrowed his face as soon as he put it in his mouth, and Max carefully asked as he ate it, looking at the chewy seaweed.
“It’s my first time trying something like this.”
“Ah, this is a seaweed called Naples. It becomes transparent when heated. Curious thing, right?”
“…Does heat make it transparent?”
“Yes. Transparent like glass.”
After giving a hint with a decisive hit, Luciel pretended not to know and took a big bite at the sandwich. Luciel sneakily hid the uncooked Naples seaweed behind her back and then told Max,
“Mr. Hamel. How is glass made?”
“It is made by mixing a small amount of lead or flint that adds lime to the glass and sand that adds a shiny aspect to the glass material.”
“I see. Can you show me?”
“This is it.”
Max showed a container with glass ingredients to spill into the crucible.
“It melts and becomes liquid glass, and when it cools down, it becomes glass.”
“I see.”
Luciel pretended to understand, but he said to Max.
“Cof Cof…Could you give me a glass of water?”
“Wait a minute.”
While Max turned his head for a moment, Luciel quickly tossed the Naples seaweed into the barrel. Then, stirred until no seaweed is visible. It was then that she made eye contact with Ellington.
“Little Madam? Why did you just put that seaweed in the sand?”
Luciel put a finger to her lips. He didn’t know what she was doing, but Ellington nodded his head as if he knew.
Then Max came up with a glass of water, and he carefully presented it to Luciel.
“Here it is. Miss Luciel.”
“Thank you.”
To Max, who was about to return quietly after delivering the water, Luciel said after taking a sip.
“Now, can you show me how to put sand and ingredients into the crucible?”
“All right. But the fire inside the crucible is so bright that you have to see it from afar.”
After Max Hamel’s warning, Ellington stepped up.
“I’m going to hold you Little Madam, so you can see better.”
In that way, Luciel watched the ingredients go into the crucible. After watching, Ellington lowered Luciel back to the floor.
After that, Luciel’s demands continued.
“Please make a rabbit ornament.”
Max handled the molten glass until the ornaments took shape and slowly cooled down. And by the time the glass’s high-purity transparent color was seen, Luciel belatedly confessed as if she had made a mistake.
“In fact, I dropped the seaweed in the ingredients!”
“What? How much?”
If impurities are formed in the glass water, it is impossible to make clean glass, air bubbles are also something that may happen. But contrary to Max’s concerns, the colors of the glass ornaments that had cooled down were…It had the highest level of transparency like never before.
Luciel said with a gleam in her eyes.
“Wow, look at that. The glass is very transparent and shiny. So pretty.”
Even if Luciel didn’t have to point it out, Max, who knew the transparency of the glass he made every day better than anyone, had a heart that was already pounding. How much effort did he put in to make transparent glass? In the process, he also increased the amount of lead and flint, but there were limitations every time.
Luciel sneakily said.
“Maybe it’s because of the Naples seaweed!”
“…That seems to be the case. I need to check it properly, can you give me some more seaweed?”
When Max, who had been stubborn earlier, even asked for seaweed himself, Luciel burst into laughter. She took out an envelope of Naples seaweed from the pink bag and handed it to him.
“Here you are.”
Max took the Naples seaweed.